Machine for cleaning carpets, rugs, or similar articles.



No. 780,516. V .PATENTED JAN. 24,1905,

2. B. & s. G. MEAD.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING GARPETS, BUGS, OR SIMILAR ARTI UL ES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 20. 1900.

esnn TY SHEET 1.

attomwq PATENTED JAN. 24,1905.

No. 780,516. z. B. & s. G. MEAD.

MAGHINE FOR CLEANING GARPETS, RUGS, 0R SIMILAR ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20. 1900.

6 SHEEN-SHEET 2..

I Witneoou No. 780,516 v PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

z. B. & s. G. MEAD..

'MAGHINE FOR CLEANING QARPETS, RUGS, 0R SIMILAR ARTICLES;

APPLIOATION FILED AUG; 20. 1900. I

' e snnn'rs-snnn'r 3.

N '780,5l6- PATENTED JAN.24',1905.

z. B. & s. G. MEAD.

MACHINE 'FOR OLEANING'CARPETS, BUGS, 0R SIMILAR ARTICLES. APPLICATIONFILED we. 20. 1900.

qmimeooeo No. 780,516. PATENTED'JAN. 24, 1905;

I 2:. B. & s. G. MEAD.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING GARPETS, RUGS'; 0R SIMILAR ARTICLES.

' 7 APPLICATION FILED AUGIEQ, 1900.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

' Q Wing g attozmug Kw O 9 1 4 N A J D E T N E T A P 2.1 & s. G. MEAD,MAGHINE FOR CLEANING OARPETS, BUGS, OR SIMILAR ARTICLES.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20. 1900.

attozwug UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ZELMA B. MEAD AND SEYMOUR G. MEAD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIOQASSIGN- ORS, BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AMERICAN PNEUMATIC CAR- PET CLEANING COMPANY,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING OARPETS,RUGS, on SIMILAR ARTICILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,516, dated January24, 1905. Application filed August 20, 1900. Serial No. 27,415.

1'0 whom/ it may concern.-

'Be it known that we, ZELMA B. MEAD and SEYMOUR G. MEAD, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of the city of Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprove- 'ments in Machines for Cleaning Carpets. Rugs,

or Similar Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for cleaning carpets, rugs, and othertextile and flexible fabrics; and it consists in certain peculiaritiesin the construction and arrangement of parts andincertainnovelcombinations of elements, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly 'pointedout in the subjoined I claims.

1 The object of the invention is to provide a machine of maximumefliciency for the pur-v pose described, and this object is wellaccomplished/bythe construction illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a machineconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a side'elevationthereof viewed from the side opposite that seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the front end of the machine with the intermediate parts ofthe front feedrollers and frame removed to show the similar parts of thefeed-rollers immediately rearward thereof, a portion of said rearwardroller belng 1n section to disclose the sectlonal;

construction thereof and the manner of supporting its sections. Fig. 4is a transverse vertical section on the line 4: A of Fig. 1 withtheroller and abutment or pan in front of the upper airedischarge tuberemoved to disclose said tube. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectionon the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing in detaila box or union for conducting air from the vertical swinging tubes tothe air-discharge tube, said box or union being shown in section. Fig. 7is a detail sectional view of the union through which air is conductedfrom the supply-pipe into the oscillatory frame.' Fig. 8 is an enlargeddetail view showing in elevation a desirable means for supporting anair-discharge tube intermediate of its ends. Fig. 9 isadetailedsectional view of two adjacent sections of a brush, showing a means'forconnecting and supporting the same. Fig. 10. is .an elevation of a brushand its said supporting means. Fig. 10 is a section on, the line 1O 10of Fig. 10. Fig. 11, Sheet 1, isadetail perspective'view'of aportion ofthe brush and its abutment. Fig. 12 is a detail end view of one of thefeed-rollers, showing the relative sizes of the shaft and shaft-opening.Fig. 13 is a detail View in perspective, showing a portion of the rearend of the frame and two guides thereat, said guides being shown indifferent positions of adjustment thereof. Fig. 14 is a detail view of ameans which may be employed to take up slack in the upper conveyer. Fig.15 isa means which may bev employed to take up slack in the lowerconveyer, and Fig. 16 is a transverse section through said takeup meansand its guides on thelines17 17, Fig. 1.

, The same numerals of reference designate the same parts in the severalviews.

1 designates a supporting-frame, which may be of any suitableconstruction and size. Ar-

ers? and 3. The rollers 2 of the upper series oppose the rollers 3 ofthe lower. series, and,

between these series, of rollers the carpet or other fabric beingcleaned is pressed and fed forward from one end to theother of themachine, opposite sides of said fabric being engaged inits passagethrough the machine by upper and lower series of cords 4 and 5 or 7"between them and to cause the same to par- 1 take of their movement onsaid rollers. These conveyers are kept in place by travelingin annularguide-grooves In the1r respective roll ers. The lower conveyer-cordso Intheir return from the rear to the front end of thema- 5 chine preferablypass around rollers 6, which are located at the ends of the frame andbelow the plane of said rollers 3.

It is desirable that the feeding means automatically accommodate itselfto inequalities in the thickness of the article being cleaned and toarticles of different thickness. Avery simple means by which thisdesideratum is accomplished is shown and consists in so mounting theupper rollers 2 upon their respective shafts 7 that they will be free tomove toward and from the lower rollers 3. This will be clearly seen uponreference to Figs. 3, 5, and 13, in which the shafts 7 are shown asbeing of less diameter than the openings 8 in the rollers through whichthey extend.

Located at intervals in the path traversed by the article being cleanedare a series of rotary brushes 10. It is preferred in practice to havethe pile or napside of fabric downward in cleaning the same and tolocate the brushes beneath and contiguous thereto, as it is found thatthis arrangementassists in cansing the fabric to be most effectuallycleaned. The brushes bear against the fabric in their rotary operationof cleaning it, and in order that they may bear thereon with therequisite pressure and yet not press the same out of the plane in whichit properly travels suitable opposing means are located opposite thebrushes 10. Said opposing means preferably comprises a series ofabutments located across the line of travel of the fabric on the side ofthe fabric opposite that engaged by the brushes 10 and each comprising aplate 11, which bears upon the upper side of the fabric and is supportedby a suitable frame having longitudinal members 12, around which theedges of said plate are folded upward, said members being suitablysupported, for example, by the fixed arms 13, depending from theframe 1. This construction while simple and inexpensive efficientlyassists the brushes 10 in cleaning the dirt from the fabric and presentsno sharp edges liable to injure the fabric. Moreover, in the operationof cleaning the fabric much of the dust or dirt is expelled therefrominto the space above the fabric. It will be apparent that the plates 11above the fabric are peculiarly adapted to receive and retain much ofthe dust or dirt which would otherwise resettle onto the fabric.Suitable means may be provided for discharging the dust or dirt fromsaid plates.

The cleaning mechanism of the present machine also comprehends means fordischarging air under pressure against the fabric, said means operatingto remove the dust raised by the brushes, but not completely removedthereby, and to loosen the dust within the interstices of the fabricwhere the brush-bristles do not effectually reach, whereby said brushesand air cooperate with each other to clean the fabric efliciently andquickly, each removing some of the'dust and dirt and each operating 26,having inlet-apertures 27.

to place under the power of the other dust and dirt which said otherwould not otherwise efiiciently remove. We have shown in theaccompanying drawings very desirable construction and arrangement ofmeans for this purpose, which comprise discharge-tubes 15, located aboveand below the line of feed of the fabric and transverse thereto. Thesedischarge-tubes have their discharge-apertures directed downward andupward against said fabric, respectively. They are reciprocatorilymounted, whereby the streams of air are 1 applied to all parts of thefabric as the same moves through the machine. Avery desirable means forsupportingand reciprocating each discharge-tube, which means serves alsofor the supply of air thereto, is shown in the drawings, upon referenceto which it will be seen that each air-discharge tube 15 projects fromone end of an oscillatory frame comprising tubes'16, through which theair flows to said discharge-tube. At the junction of said frame with thedischarge-tube there is located a union or coupling which comprises asleeve 17, having end stuffing boxes 18. Through said sleeve andstuffing-boxes passes a tube 19, whose ends are connected to the upperends of the side members of the frame 16. Said sleeve (see Fig. (5) isformed to provide an interior chamber 20, with which the discharge-tube15 communicates, and said tube 19, which is of smaller diameter thansaid chamber, is formed within the latter with apertures 21, throughwhich the air issues into said chamber and thence into and from saiddischarge-tube 15. The stufiing-boxes obviously prevent leakage of airaround the tube 19. At the opposite end of each frame there is a similarunion (shown in detail in Fig. 7) comprising a sleeve 23, the interiorchamber 24" of which is in communication with the feed-pipe 25, whichopens into the same, said chamber also communicating with the sidemembers of the frame 16 through the tube The union is also provided withstuffing-boxes 28, which prevent leakage between the ends of said sleeveand said tube. Each of said frames is borne within bearing devices 29,of which those of the lower frames may be secured to the floor of theroom which contains the machine and those of the upper frame may dependfrom the ceiling of said room. It will be observed that the constructiondescribed permits said frames to oscillate in said bearings, and therebyfeed the discharge-tubes 15 back and forth across the line of travel ofthe fabric, and it will also be seen that the connection of said frameswith the feed-pipes 25 and dischargetubes 15 is such as to permit saidframes to turn relatively to said pipes and tubes, whereby, if desired,said pipes and tubes may be held to move in horizontal planes while theframes oscillate. Said feed-pipes 25 are connected with a suitablesource of compressedits carrying-frame oscillates.

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air supply not necessary to show herein. A means which may desirably beemployed to reciprocate said frames 16 comprise eccentrics 30, mountedon a common shaft 31 and connected with their respective frames bystraps 32 and pitmen 33. v 1

Adesirable number and arrangement of airdischarge means comprises oneabove and two below the line of feed of the fabric, the former locatedat or about the center of the machine and the lower ones between saidcenter and the respective ends of the machine.

In machines of large size the air-discharge tubes are long and shouldhave one or more intermediate supports. A desirable construction of suchsupport comprises a rocking or oscillating are 34, having arcal teeth 35and supported in a pivotal bearing 36 in the foundation 37, which latteris suitably supported by the frame or otherwise. The teeth of this arcengage teeth of a rack 38 on the under side of the air-discharge tube15. This rack may be secured to the tube in any suitable manner.

A convenient means of securing it consists of slotted clamps 39, drawntogether by suitable tightening-screws 40. As the discharge-tubereciprocates this are oscillates, allowing the said tube to move and atthe same time sup-v porting or guiding it and causing it to move in anapproximately horizontal plane while Suitable fans suck away the dustraised by the brushes and air-streams from the air-tubes.

It is frequently necessary or desirable to run a carpet or other fabricbeing cleaned through the machine more than once. To this end a carrieris provided at the bottom of themachine for returning the article to thefront thereof. This return-carrier 41 runs on rollers 42, one or both ofwhich are positively driven, and its rear end preferably projects beyondthe vertical plane of the rear end of the upper carrier, as shown bestin Fig. 5. Means are provided by which the article may be delivered tosaid return-carrier or not, as desired, said means preferably comprisinga series of guide-boards 43, pivotally mounted at their upper ends, asshown at 44, and provided with means by which they may be independentlyadjusted by the attendant at the front end of the machine. Saidadjusting means preferably comprise push-rods 45, (one for eachguide-board,) which when pressed rearward turn outward the guide-boardconnected with it, whereby said guideboard causes the carpet controlledby it to be guided clear of said return-carrier, and when said rod isreturned to its outward position said board will be correspondinglyreturned and will permit the carpet to fall onto said returnecarrier tobe conducted thereby to the front of the machine. The handle end 46of'eachrod 45 is preferably pivoted to the rod so as to be turneddownward when the rod is inits for ward position, and thereby be out ofthe way of the attendant and yet accessible to him. Inasmuch as carpetsare very heavy, the utilization of a carrier to return them to the frontof the machine is obviously a great advantage. The guides are preferablyof short lengths and a number of them are preferably employed in eachmachine, thus adapting them to be readily used with carpets of differentwidths. Especially is this advantageous when the machine is made, as itusually will be, long enough to take in and clean several carpets at thesame time. The short guides will enable the attendant to cause a givencarpet to be delivered at the rear onto the carrier or onto thefloorwithout interfering with the other carpets passing through the machine.The attendant is thus enabled to control independently of each other thedelivery of the carpets to the floor or to the return-carrier, asdesired.

At the rear end of the machine is located a mirror 47, inclinedsubstantially as shown, whereby the operator at the front of the machinecan ascertain whether the carpet is obeying the action of the guide orguides. In event that it is not he is thus notified to go to the rear ofthe machine and adjust the carpetonto the carrier for redelivery to thefront of the machine.

As the rollers areof considerable length, it is desirable to form eachof the same of a series of sections mounted end to end. Thisconstruction most readily adapts the roller to .be supported atintervals, which is very desirable and, moreover, enables an injured or'worn-outsection to be replaced without compelling the entire roller tobe replaced. This is especially advantageous with the brush-rollers 10,which are more subject to wear than the feed-rollers, and it will bedescribed in detail in connection with the brushes, although, as shownin Fig. 3, it may and preferably will be employed also in connectionwith the feedrollers, the intermediate bearings in the latter rollersbeing indicated-generally by the reference-numeral 9.

Referring'to Fig. 9, it will be seen that the contiguous ends of thesections of a brushroller are formed with recesses 50 for the receptionof the bearing 51. This bearing is supported on a thin broad verticalstandard 52, (the construction of which is well disclosed in Fig. 1,where it is shown as the support for the end of the brush-roller,) andprojects out- 51 preferably comprises a cylindrical box, having acap 54,and provided interiorly with Babbitt-metal linings 55, held in place inthe usual IIO &

manner. As an additional securing means for such construction of bearingit is preferred to employ a clamp or stirrup 56, which embraces thebearing and the edges of the standard (and may be seated in recesses 57in the same) and has its ends extended through openings formed in lugs58, projecting from the foot 53, said clamp or stirrup being secured bynuts 59. It will be apparent that this construction will enable thesections to run easily and be close together notwithstanding thepresence of the bearing and that said bearing also insures steadiness ofmovement of the brush-shaft.

The support 60,above referred to,preferably comprises bars which extendlongitudinally of the machine, each bar supporting a line ofbrush-bearings. These bars are mounted to have vertical movement,whereby the brushes may be adjusted toward and from the carpet, asdesired, in order to bear thereon with the pressure best adaptedthereto. A very desirable means for supporting and adjusting said barscomprises eccentrics or earns 61, which are mounted on rods or shafts 62near the ends of the machine. Said rods or shafts are provided with armsor levers 63, which are connected with each other by a rod or rods 64.Means for operating the eccentrics as combined are supplied, and in thepresent illustrative instance consist of a lever 65, secured to aneccentric rod or shaft 62 and working on a graduated are 66, havingstops 67, whereby the lever can be set at a desired point along the arcand advance the brushes toward the carpet or retract to adesired degree.In this manner a very perfect adjustment of the brushes to the textureand needs of the carpet is obtained.

The machine preferably is provided with means for taking up slack in theconveyors. One suitable means for this purpose is shown in the drawingsand comprises two beams 70, united by a right and left hand screw 71,which works in nuts 7 2, one of which is fixed in one beam and the otherin the other beam, whereby when the screw is turned the beams will besimultaneously adjusted toward and from each other. These beams extendbetween guides which are suitably fixed to the frame of the machine andcomprise longitudinal pieces 73 and cross-pieces 74. Each beam issecured to a bearing of one of the end rollers of the conveying means,(the bearings of the upper rollers being designated 75 and those of thelower rollers 76,) whereby motion communicated to them is transmitted tosaid bearings.

The operation of the machine may be briefly summarized as follows: Eachor several of the feed-rollers and brushes are connected with suitabledriving mechanism, such as the chain-gears 77, which are illustrated,but need not be particularly described. An article or articles to becleaned, such as a carpet or several carpets placed side by side, beinginserted by the attendant at the receiving end of the machine betweenthe upper and lower conveying-cords will be tightly gripped by saidcords, which are held in proximity to each other by their carrying andfeeding rolls and will be positively fed thereby. In its passage throughthe machine each article will be subjected to the action of the rotarybrushes, which have been previously set to give the pressure desired,and to the currents of air from the reciprocating air tubes, whichbrushes and air-currents cooperate with each other, as hereinabovestated, to clean the same. Much of the dust and dirt from'the carpetwill be caught by the pan-shaped abutments 11 and much will be caught bya platform 78, which is located below the plane of the lower conveyer 3and above the plane of the returnconveyer 41. If any or all of thearticles require further cleaning, the particular guide or guides 43,controlling the exit of the same, is drawn inward, thus permitting saidarticle or articles to fall upon the return-convcycr ll, which carriesit to the front of the machine, while the guide or guides controllingthose which do not require to be repassed through the machine areadjusted into outwardly-inclined position, so as to guide said articleor articles clear of said return-conveyer.

What we claim as new and of our invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. A fabric-cleaning machine, comprising a plurality of rollers eachmade in sections located end to end and having recesses in theirconfrontingends, and means for supporting each of said rollers,comprising a shaft extending through the several sections thereof,standards having shaft-engaging heads projecting in opposite directionstherefrom each into the contiguous recess in a section, a bar forsupporting a line of said standards, said bar extending from onestandard to another of said line, and adjustable means engaging said barfor adjusting the same and the several roller-sections.

2. A fabric-cleaning machine, comprising a plurality of rotary brushes,bearings for the shafts of said brushes, a bar extending from onebearing to another and supporting the same, and an adjustable supportingmeans for said bar, comprising shafts, cams mounted on said shafts andengaging the under surface of said bar at different places in the lengththereof and connected to move in unison, and an actuating-lever for saidcams secured to one of said shafts.

3. A fabric-cleaning machine, comprising fabric-conveying mechanism, aplurality of rotary brushes, standards for supporting said brushes, saidstandards having bearings engaging the shafts of said brushes, andadjustable supporting means for said standards ICC comprising a barsupporting a line of said standards, a shaft below each end of said bar,a cam mounted on each of said shafts and engaging the under surface ofsaid bar, means connecting said cams with each other so, as to causethem to operate in unison, an adjustinglever secured to one; of saidcam-shafts and means for fixing the parts in adjusted position,comprising a toothed arc to be connected with said lever.

4;. In a fabric-cleaning machine, a cleaning mechanism comprising areciprocatory airdischarge tube, and oscillatory means through which thesame is supplied, said oscillatory means comprising a tubular framehaving chambered unions at its ends, from one of which saiddischarge-tube leads, asupplytube having communication with the chamberof the other of said unions, and means for oscillating said frame.

5. In a fabric-cleaning machine, a cleaning mechanism comprising anair-discharge tube, oscillatory means carrying the same and comprising atubular frame through which said discharge-tube is supplied, said framehaving unions at its opposite ends and apertured members in said unionsand said unions having interior chambers with one of which saiddischarge-tubehas communication,stulfing-boxes at the ends of saidunions, a supply-pipe communicating with the interior chamber of one ofsaid unions, and means for oscillating said frame.

6. In a machine for cleaning carpets, the combination of anair-dischargetube, a rack having clamps at its ends which embrace said tube andsecure the rack removably thereto, means for moving said tube, and anoscillatory areal pivoted support having teeth engaging those of saidrack.

7 In a fabric-cleaning machine, the combination with means for conveyingthe article from the receiving to thedelivery end of the machine, andmeans for returning said article from the delivery to said receiving endof the machine, of an adjustable guiding means for controlling thedelivery of said article to said return-carrier. I I

8. In afabric-cleaning machine, the combination of conveying means foradvancing the fabric, a return-carrier, hinged guides at the rear end ofthe machine for controlling the delivery of the fabric to thereturn-carrier, and means for adjusting said guides from the front end'of the machine. I

9. In a fabric-cleaning machine, the combination with means forconveying the articles to be cleaned from the receiving to the dischargeend of the machine, said conveying means being adapted to carrysimultaneously a plurality of articles side by side, of a returncarriertraveling from the discharge end of the machine to the receiving endthereof, and a series of independently-ad ustable guiding means locatedat the discharge end of the machine and serving to control the directionof discharge of said articles.

10 In a fabric-cleaning machine, the combination of main feeding devicesfor advancing the article to be cleaned, a carrier arranged beneath saldmain feeding devices, and projecting rearwardly beyond the same, hingedrotary brushes, plates located at intervals across the line of travel ofthe fabric and in proximity to the upper surface of said, fabric anddirectly opposite said brushes, said plates having upwardly-rolled edgesand supporting devices for each of said plates, comprising a pair ofspaced rods extending longitudinally of said plates and located withinthe rolled edges thereof, and means for supporting said r s. 1

13. In a fabric-cleaning machine, means for supplying air under pressureto the fabrics, comprising an oscillatory frame composed of tubularmembers, means for delivering air to the interior of the same, andadischargepipe carried by said oscillatory frame and receiving airtherefrom, substantially as, described I and for the'purposes specified.

14:. In a fabric-cleaning machine, means for supplying air underpressure to the fabric, comprising a pivotally-supported frame composedof tubular members and having means through which its tubular membersare supplied with compressed air, means for oscillating said frame, apipe projecting from said frame and pivotally connected therewith, saidpipe having a series of discharge-apertures,

and guiding or supporting means for said pipe located at a distance fromsaid frame and causing said pipe to move in an approximately straightline during the oscillations of the frame.

15. In a fabric-cleaning machine, means for supplying air under pressureto the fabric, comprising an oscillatory frame composed of tubularmembers, means for delivering air tow the interior of the same, areciprocatory d-ischarge-pipe having pivotal connection with said frameand having teeth between its ends, and a pivoted toothed supportengaging said teeth of the discharge-pipe. I

16. In a machine for cleaningv'fabric, the

combination of the upper set of cords, the-l tween the latter and theoscillating air-tube lower set of cords, a series of rollers forcarframes, substantially as and for the purposes I0 rying each setarranged to cause the cords 1n specified.

their Working place and while operating to ZELMA B. MEAD.

5 feed the fabric to lie in proximity to each SEYMOUR Ur. MEAD.

other, brushes, air-tubes, oscillating air-tube Attest: frames,pivotally connected to the air-tubes, SAMUEL A. VVEs'r,

and the eccentrics and communications be- K. SMITH.

